Texans Defense Batters No. 1 Pick as 49ers Roll 41-17 Behind Rookies

Q: Will the No. 1 pick's preseason struggles shatter his confidence, or is this the wake-up call the Raiders needed?

It is far more likely to be a useful wake-up call than a confidence-breaking moment. Mendoza’s stat line against Houston was poor — 8 of 15 for 86 yards, one interception, one sack — but the context matters. He was pressured on 37.5% of his dropbacks, hit five times, and played behind a Raiders offensive line that has already shown signs of instability in camp and joint practices. The ugliest play, Wade Woodaz’s 80-yard pick-six, was a real rookie mistake, but it also illustrated a lesson former No. 1 pick Troy Aikman pointed out on the broadcast: NFL throwing windows close much faster than they do in college. The stronger evidence says Mendoza is built to absorb this. Coaches and teammates have consistently described him as unusually prepared, detail-obsessed and self-critical in a productive way. He had a cleaner preseason debut against Arizona, throwing for 97 yards and a touchdown without an interception, which suggests Thursday was not a full picture of his progress. Maxx Crosby’s immediate message on the sideline — that the key is how he responds — also reflects the team’s view of this as part of development, not a crisis. For the Raiders, the more urgent takeaway may be protection, not panic. Houston’s reserve-heavy front repeatedly disrupted Mendoza, and that echoes broader concerns about Las Vegas’ line depth. If anything, this game was a reminder that developing a franchise quarterback requires not just patience with the rookie, but better support around him.

3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Aug 21

Fernando Mendoza went 8-of-15 for 86 yards with an interception and a 42.6 rating as Houston’s backup defense repeatedly overwhelmed the Raiders rookie in a 22-20 Las Vegas win.
Five hits, a sack and pressure on 37.5% of his dropbacks underscored the problem, with Wade Woodaz turning a miscue into an 80-yard pick-six and Kayden McDonald adding a sack.
Houston also got a steady opening cameo from C.J. Stroud — 5 of 7 for 27 yards on a 69-yard touchdown drive — while Woody Marks sparked the offense with 43 yards on five touches and a 20-yard scoring run.
San Francisco’s 41-17 win over the Chargers featured another strong showing from second-round rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, who caught four passes for 46 yards after a 63-yard debut last week.
Kaelon Black added 53 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Jacob Cowing broke an 83-yard punt-return score, while the Chargers kept testing rookie Jake Slaughter at center after Tyler Biadasz’s ACL injury.